The Osceola times., 1887-02-26
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Senate.

senate.
Senate bill No. 20. a bill TO increase the
Number OF Supreme Judges to i've, the
election Of extra judges TO be at the next
general election, was read third time.
Senator Byrne made ong and earnest
argument in favor of the passage OF the
bill. He showed that the growing State
demands it. The court is behind with the
work. The speedy settlement Of cases de-
mands IL. and he urged the Senate not TO
delay justice by refusing to pass the bill.
Senator j. +. Williams urged the pas
sage Of the bill, showing that the Legisla-
ture has the constitutional right TO pass
such a bill.
Senator Thomson opposed the bill. He
vas not convinced there was necessity
for the increase. lie thought II questiona-
BILE whether five judges could do .aore
work than three.
Senator Crockett asked the Senate D.. 1t
knew who demands this relief. Do you
know, sir, that many OF the cases locked
up there are minor heirs, who are growing
up Ia ignorance because their estates are
locked up in the Supreme Court, and the
court cannot reach it on account OF being
overworkedi
Senator Stayton showed that an evil eI-
lists Tor which there Is but one remedy, ana
that remedy is the election of two more
judges. He regretted that none but attor-
neys are willing to stand up here and ad-
vocate this bill. He urged the passage OF
the bill.
Senator Pettigrew stated that he would
support the bill, but he thought 1t would
hardly produce the effect desired. he
showed that In some States where there
are from five to nine judges there are not
as many decisions made in year as are
made in the same length OF time by three
/ judges of the Arkansas Supreme Bench.
] Ia lao a though
/ give 1t n trial.
! Senator Simmons stated that the Su-
| preme Court is not asking this increase.
1 He did not believe that five judges could
work as fast three judges. He stated
that the court Is now gaining rapidly upon
/ its docket and will 60 tinue. He did not
helisve the State has a population of l..
/ 00U,000, and the constitution provides that
the Supreme Bench shall not be increased
until after the population has reached
/ l,0OO,0O0. He regarded it a fat place for
/ two lawyers, costing the people SIO0O a
year, and then to the increase In number
of judges would only tend 10 make their
work slower, for 1t Is harder for five men
| to agree on any one subject than for three.
! Senator Jones did not believe the people
Of the State desire such an increase OF the
Judges of the Supreme Bench. Members
| of the Supreme Court had told him that
| they did not need any additional help.
| The Chief Justice showed to him that there
are many States that have five judges and
do l1ss work than our three judges. He
could see no ben fit to be derived from the
increase. He believed that one Judge could
do more work than three, AMI that three
can do much more work than five.
Senator Byrne closed the debate by an
sweiing some OF the. objections raised
against the bill, holding that the press re-
fleets the will of the people, and that every
newspaper In the State of any influence
| has begged for years for this increase.
Then, too, the last Democrotic State Con-
vention adopted n resolution making this
demand upon this Legislature for this re.
lief.
Senator Hanna stated that there were
two points in controversy in discussing
this question. First. Has the Legislature
the constitutional right to pass such billl
! Second Is 10 expedientI As to the first
proposition, he showed that the legal way
to ascertain the number of inhabitants was
bv the census made by the United States.
The last census shows that Arkansas had
about s00,0 inhabitants. There is no way
to take census until 1880
Then as to the expediency of such a
measure he did not think that five judges
would do enough extra work to justify
the extra expense.
Senator Mcdonnell seriously doubted the
propriety of this increase of the Supreme
| Bench. From all the information that he
could gatber-from prominent lawyers of
his district, from lawyers of l. tile Rock,
and from members of the Supreme Bench
he could find no good reason for the bill.
The bill failed &c pass.
Ayes-Senato~s Byrne, Crockett, Fletch
e.. Hammond, Hudson, Logan, Mock, Pc
ters, Petit rev, Pope, Stayton, Tate and
J. u. Williams-l3.
Noes-Senators Cazort, Copeland, Gran
dali Dunaway, Gardner, Hanna, johnson,
Jones, Mcconnell, Martin, Potts, Simmons,
| Smith, Thomaseon, Thompson, j. II. Will
liams and Mr.. President-l7.
Senate bill No. AZ, a bill to repeal an act
TO confirm and make valid certain sales
made by the State of swamp and over
flowed lands. Senator Crandall explained
he reason for introducing the bill, and
urged its passage.
Senator Potts stated that the act this bill
proposes to repeal was passed a. the LAST
Legislature to quiet the title TO certain
| lands that had been bought or donated
from the STATE. Many Of these lands were
paid for years ago by levee bonds, some
" the same lands that fell to the State as
swamp lands, which had previously been
homesteaded by citizens. These citizens
were allowed TO pay for their lands in
levee bonds. Then. after this, the Supreme
Court decided that certain levee londs
were invalid. Then the people adopted
| the Fishback amen1ment to the constitu-
| tion. This left the titles to the above lands
| doubtful, and the act passed in 1885 is III
that these people have under which to hold
their lands. He opposed the repeal of the
| act.
Senators Smith and Stayton did not
think, If this bill passed, that it would
amount to anything, but they wanted the
| law of 1885 to stand as a monument of the
States jus ice toward her citizens.
Senator Crandall was answered that
many land spectators and sharks are be-
| ing benefited by this bill. He showed that
! all the actual citizens to be relieved by the
| old act have already been relieved, and
there is no need Of the law, except that for
SPECTATORS TO take advantage Of.
| The bill failed TO passages, 8; noes, 20.
House.
Mr.. Baker, of Benton, rose to a question
of privilege and had read communica.
| tion in which he objected to being placed
in an attitude Of hostility to the Jews,
which he claimed had been done by the
/ Little Rock Democrat in reports of the
/ discussion ON the bill repeating the Sab.
oath law and allowing persons to observe
any other day than Sunday as a Sabbath.
/ The committee on public buildings re-
/ ported that the state-house was in good
condition with some exceptions. Thew
recommended the extension Of the west
wing of the state-house at cost of ID, 500
! 10 provide additional library room aud
more room for the State exhibit: also for
| repairing the vault in the Treasurer's
office; also tnst the entire front Of the
state.house be remodeled according to
modern ideas of architecture, which would
cost $4,000; elso that the Hecretary of
State be authorized to have the street in
front of the state-house paved. The COM
mittee reported bills TO carry their recon.
mendations into effect